Toronto LFS tanks poisoned

[sslak]

I read that they did not even try to save any of the live stock and that a lot of the fish were still alive hours latter but they left them to die. That is why people were thinking it was some sort of insurance scam. Since it is a aquarium store they must have a lot of empty buckets and aquariums that they could have used to remove the fish and try to saved most of them.

The fish stores I go to don't really HAVE very many buckets...they don't need buckets, they have TANKS.

Bad water is pumped directly down the drain, and all the new water is mixed in one giant tub and pumped into the system for water changes. Buckets just aren't needed.

If the mixing tub was contaminated as well as the main system, there's nothing they could have done. Besides, once a fish is poisoned with bleach whether you put it in clean water or not, it's most likely done for.

 

[DJREEF]

since when are fish not vertebrates...?

Since when are bureaucrats not morons?

DJ

 

[rkelman]

Just because the fish were alive hours later doesn't mean they would have survived after pulling them out and dropping them in a bucket of brand new salt water. They were doomed. I don't think people understand how overwhelmed the people at the store must have felt. I can tell you from experience that they were not likely thinking straight either. (not that I think they could have done anything anyways)

 

[Zire]

Man, that sucks, at least now I know this place exists whereas before I didn't, I should go check them out, I'm sure they could use the money right now.

 

[Jay1982]

A local reef store in Montreal was hit a few days ago. Its all over the local french speaking forums. An official "statement" was made by the store owner on one of the forums. Basically it said this: The fish were fine when the store opened that day and every hour they were losing fish like crazy. It wasn't bleach but something that dropped the pH to ~5.6 with alk 0.5meq/l. They had originally tested the ammonia, nitrate and nitirte. Everything seemed fine until they tested for the pH. By the time the store employees caught on they lost 50% of their fish. They quickly dumped the remaining fish into their sperate system for coral tanks (weather the fish were reef safe or not, it didn't matter obviously) they only lost a few more at that point but managed to save about 45% of the livestock. They looked through the security cameras but didn't find anything but police are investigating.


Personally I find it extremely disturbing that people would do this. If you have a problem with the store, owner, employee. Take it up with them. Don't be a coward and kill something that can't defend itself.

 

[billsreef]

Probably something like muriatic acid to drop the pH of SW like that

 

[Jay1982]

Yeah, very sad that someone would go out of their way to look for something that would effect the pH without detection from the other parameters

 

[Hydrologist]

Very true. A sad story indeed.

I have had many terrible experiences with Indoor Jungle as there customer service is HORRIBLE! But regardless, I would never even think about killing there fish/corals to get back at them.

Very sad to hear about the store in Montreal as well. However, it was good to see that they at least attempted to save there fish (and sounds like they saved quite a few).

 

[Lanie]

That is horrible. My corals and fish are pets. Someone will brag and they will get caught!

 

[Frank Aguirre]

Whaaaaaaat??????

Whaaaaaaat??????

Not to take the light off a terrible story, but did you guys read farther down the article?

Speechless!!!

 

[loganbug3]

I cannot believe how horrible this is. I don't care who you are that is sick. If it was an activist of anything of that like I can't understand how they think they are helping by killing that many living creatures.

I am with billsreef, that is pure lunacy.

 

[wtac]

As horrible an event, I feel more for the senseless loss of the livestock than for the business owners. I have dropped by at least once a month since their opening and have left disappointed and empty handed.


From their website:Furthermore, we believe in doing our share in aiding sustainable living as well as the environment, thus we use biological tropical plant filtration as one of the means by which we filter our numerous tanks. This method essentially limits the amount of water and chemicals that need to be used so as to ensure a safe environment for our fish. Furthermore, it makes each individual ecozone more like the natural habitat of the species as it is receiving nutrients and is being filtered in a natural way. Lastly, this method limits the number of chemicals that are eventually flushed out of the system.

Uhm...I have to strongly disagree. I have seen their filtration system and there are no plants at all other than what's in their display system of 2-5 aquariums on one 60+ aquarium per centralized system. Their filtration system primarily is a 100gal RubberMaid trough and a stack of milk crates wrapped with a shower curtain and laundry baskets filed with bioballs and plastic coiled pot scrubber tingees.

Not to kick them when they are dead and down but what the media and their claims of their business and husbandry practices and what I have seen of their system and livestock, they are completely contradictory.

Again, I feel more for the senseless loss of fish, corals and inverts as well as the black eye given to the ethical and reputable LFSs.

 

[jchase1970]

Alot of sick people, a letter to the editor in my local paper was from a women who woke up one morning to find someone came into her yard and cut down all of her roses. I do hope they catch whoever did this to the fish store. I wonder how the would prosecute them, destruction of goods, how ever they do isn't server enough. I wonder if the fish store insurance covers this as it maybe considered a act of terrorism.

 

[DJREEF]

I can do one better than that. On my way home from my games today, it became apparent after seeing the 3rd one, that someone was throwing 4-6 week old puppies out of their car as they were driving down the freeway. There's some really disgusting people on this planet. They're really lucky I didn't actually see them do it.

DJ

 

[tozzi]

My money is on .... Kids being stupid, or another lfs trying to get more business. Id say an ex employee too, but being its more than 1 store it doesnt fit as well.

 

[Bigfinn4]

Well, if I was running things...we would find this [profanity] and shove him in a 90 gal tank filled with bleach...cover it...wait...then feed whats left to pigs. Look, here is the problem...NO CONSEQUENCES...ever, for anything.

 

[loganbug3]

I agree, when the crime is not severe, the punishment is but when the crime is horrible nothing happens.

 

[GhostCon1]

I hate people so much at times. How could someone do this? Apparently this seems to be something that is happening more as I am seeing a lot of it lately... and that is disgusting, I also found from my LFS FB page this link:

http://glassbox-design.com/2010/robbers-steal-snakes-kill-30k-in-marine-fish-at-aussie-lfs/

About an AU store and they believe that it may have been a competitor. This is just wrong and I hope all these people pay dearly for it one day.

 

[Dustin1300]

This is horrible. Did they actually ever find out what worthless scumbag did this?

 

[Plankt0s]

Ouch! I own a LFS and If that happened to me I would be screwed... I have always worried about it happening.